[KevinTheOmnivore]

Regardless of whether Reagan spent it on military or cotton candy, he was still a big spender, and couldn't manage to cut spending like Clinton did.

Your notion of creeping conservatism is probably just as silly as the last argument using the word "creeping." These guys love to spend money on what they want, period. They'll also find that ideology takes a back seat when you get into office, and are forced to make substantive policy decisions that require spending (to be fair, ideological Leftists often discover the reverse when they attain office, too).